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NEW YORK POST article on Juanes: Soul Survivor

SOUL SURVIVOR

By SANDRA GUZMAN
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March 2, 2005 -- Every morning, Colombian rocker Juanes says a prayer of thanks for his enormous blessings: two multi-platinum selling albums, nine Latin Grammys, sold-out concerts, a loving wife, a healthy baby girl and another one due in June.
It's the singer/songwriter's way of expressing gratitude for his phenomenal personal and professional success.

Only a few years ago, Latin America's biggest rock sensation was so broke, he recalls, that he couldn't afford to buy a book that was helping him keep the faith -Paulo Coelho's best-selling tome "The Alchemist."

"I would go into Borders and read two chapters and leave a piece of paper where I left off. And every day, I would go back and pick it up again," remembers the man often described as Colombia's conscience.

"It's incredible. Six years ago I walked the streets of Los Angeles, lost and broke," he says. "I never imagined that things would happen this way.

"I have been at this for 17, 18 years," he sighs. "The road has been long."

While those hard days may be a thing of the past, the experiences do find their way into his music, particularly his third CD "Mi Sangre" (My Blood), an infectious blend of Latin American rock, funk and vallenato (Colombian folk music).

This Friday, the shy rocker - voted as the Sexiest Man Alive by People En Espa¤ol last year - is set to perform hits from his latest album. He promises the night will be a magical ride, since he equates performing at the Garden to a spiritual experience.

"El Madison is like a temple and New York is such a mystical city with powerful significance that it's going to be special," says the 32-year-old, fresh from a run of record-breaking performances in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"The concert, like my album, is a journey, like a trip that offers lots of hope, nostalgia, anguish, anger, desperation and finally, peace."

Juanes' muse is his war-torn and beloved Colombia, always full of agony and despair, but steadfast with hope.

"The conflict is old, more than 40 years. It's complicated. But people are sick of the violence," he says.

"It might get more difficult, but hopefully there will be changes, good changes for our children."

http://www.nypost.com/tempo/41627.htm

By ColombianoX on Mar 2, 2005, 13:07 in Friendly Talkzone.

SiempreHero says on Mar 3, 2005, 07:14:

Met the guy He is really a great guy from what i know. My wife, her sisters and I were on the same flight as he was (Bogota to Miami) in October. We were sitting just two rows behind his seat. He walked in the plane. I did not recognize him not a big fan but of course know of him. I said to myself, "who is that guy, i guess he thinks he's a rock and roller he he" Then my wife grabbed me and said "JUANES, THATS JUANES!!" "Go take a picture of him, hurry please" of course I hate bothering celebs, but she is the boss. So her sisters and I said hi, he was so happy and nice. My wife has the pic on her camara. I will post it when i get it. He was very nice to everyone. He looks so young in person.

0 funny, 0 helpful.